Motorcyclists plan rally to press Victorian government on pothole repairs

Motorcyclist Michael White, who recently completed a 4,000-kilometre tour of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, is joining forces with fellow rider Paul Povh to stage a “broken roads rally” on October 4 outside the state Parliament. The event is intended to draw attention to the high number of potholes that have caused serious injuries and the September 13 death of Peter “Tiki” Mason after he struck a pothole near Trawalla.

According to the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, almost half of Victoria’s road network is classified as poor or very poor, a situation motorcyclists say disproportionately endangers them. While Premier Ben Carroll has suggested using prisoners for road maintenance and the opposition pledges a $5 billion fund to fix one million potholes, riders such as Ilona Szabo and Irene Giannelli remain doubtful of any concrete progress. The rally seeks to compel one outlet Labor government and any future administration to deliver a comprehensive road-repair plan before the November 28 election.